Name: Mount Sterling Livestock Auction livestock auction prices — 2025-12-17
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-12-17

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Wednesday the feeder market was mostly steady with an average quality offering. Good quality feeder steers and heifers 600 lbs and under were mostly steady with a limited supply and good demand for weaned calves. Buyers were active today and willing to pay premiums for quality, while discounting plainer and off colored calves severely. Slaughter cows and bulls were steady to 2.00 higher with a light supply and good demand.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $343.72/cwt on 45 head. That ranks 1 of 30 comparable sales and sits −58.00 against this barn's trailing median of $401.72.

Average price

$343.72

45 head · 542 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,864

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$571

per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 2-3

$104.29/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−6.87

vs KY average

−46.19 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	542	349.29	1,894	37
Medium and Large 2	542	328.37	1,780	7thin
Medium and Large 2-3	540	245.00	1,323	1thin

One grade step is worth $104.29/cwt here — about $571 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 500–600 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

30 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $431.17, low $343.72, median $401.72 across 30 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale45 hd

343.72

—

KY average26 barns · 1,122 hd

350.59

−6.87

National average175 barns · 15,310 hd

389.91

−46.19

This barn, trailing median30 sales

401.72

−58.00

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt

Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	Average	1,647	181.43	2,988	6thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,534	165.61	2,541	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,271	156.21	1,986	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,061	136.10	1,445	15

Replacement cattle Per head

By class, stage and age

Bred stock and pairs are reported per head, not per hundredweight — these prices are never mixed with the $/cwt figures above.

Class	Stage	Age	Avg wt	$/head	Head
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,390	$2,110	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	995	$2,050	1thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,035	$1,625	1thin
Bred Heifers	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	(<2 yrs)	970	$2,400	2thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,490	$2,952	4thin

Every lot, as filed

76 lots · USDA AMS · Bluegrass Stockyard - Mt. Sterling, KY

Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Fancy	400–450	415	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,868	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	530	364.70/cwt	362.00–367.50	1,933	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	460	378.79/cwt	375.00–390.00	1,742	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	574	350.40/cwt	340.00–354.00	2,011	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	880	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,936	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	720	312.50/cwt	312.50–312.50	2,250	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	500–550	505	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	1,970	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	536	368.74/cwt	355.00–380.00	1,976	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	587	328.18/cwt	326.00–335.00	1,926	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	370	317.09/cwt	310.00–325.00	1,173	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	466	379.57/cwt	375.00–387.50	1,769	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	200–250	200	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	850	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	662	336.98/cwt	333.00–339.00	2,231	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	635	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,159	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	465	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	1,930	1
Steers	Large 1-2	650–700	670	327.00/cwt	327.00–327.00	2,191	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Fancy	450–500	450	447.50/cwt	447.50–447.50	2,014	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	562	366.13/cwt	360.00–367.50	2,058	7
Steers	Large 1-2	800–850	800	292.50/cwt	292.50–292.50	2,340	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	960	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	2,544	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	421	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,684	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	438	376.40/cwt	367.50–385.00	1,649	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	367	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,285	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	542	328.37/cwt	325.00–337.50	1,780	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	390	392.00/cwt	392.00–392.00	1,529	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	490	357.60/cwt	346.00–367.00	1,752	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	522	348.33/cwt	340.00–360.00	1,818	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	564	343.47/cwt	325.00–347.50	1,937	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	345	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,139	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	500–550	540	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,323	1
Heifers	Large 1-2	350–400	390	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,190	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	625	282.00/cwt	282.00–282.00	1,763	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	850–900	855	247.50/cwt	247.50–247.50	2,116	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	680	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,938	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fancy	450–500	477	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	1,884	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Guaranteed Open	500–550	503	368.00/cwt	368.00–368.00	1,851	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	422	421.50/cwt	405.00–430.00	1,779	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	920	212.42/cwt	207.50–217.50	1,954	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,141	139.89/cwt	131.00–144.00	1,596	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,530	172.40/cwt	170.00–174.50	2,638	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,536	162.70/cwt	156.00–167.50	2,499	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	963	124.14/cwt	122.00–127.00	1,195	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,078	158.73/cwt	157.50–160.00	1,711	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,223	147.86/cwt	147.00–149.00	1,808	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,289	159.25/cwt	152.00–167.00	2,053	11
Bulls	—	—	1,727	179.37/cwt	176.00–183.50	3,098	3
Bulls	—	—	1,248	165.48/cwt	165.00–166.00	2,065	2
Bulls	—	—	2,205	219.50/cwt	219.50–219.50	4,840	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,000	173.66/cwt	170.00–178.00	1,737	2
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	970	2,400.00/head	2,400.00–2,400.00	2,400	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,390	2,110.00/head	2,110.00–2,110.00	2,110	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	995	2,050.00/head	2,050.00–2,050.00	2,050	1
Bred Cows	Medium 1-2	—	1,035	1,625.00/head	1,625.00–1,625.00	1,625	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,490	2,951.69/head	2,825.00–3,000.00	2,952	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	500–550	532	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,756	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	570	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,710	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	400–450	437	354.62/cwt	350.00–370.00	1,550	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 2-3	250–300	265	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	795	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	600–650	618	271.52/cwt	265.00–275.00	1,678	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	250–300	278	404.93/cwt	397.50–407.50	1,126	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	250–300	275	362.50/cwt	362.50–362.50	997	1
Bulls	Large 1-2	600–650	645	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	2,032	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	800	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	2,040	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	678	320.82/cwt	320.00–322.50	2,175	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	350	407.00/cwt	402.00–412.00	1,425	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	350–400	368	375.03/cwt	370.00–385.00	1,380	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fancy	400–450	425	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	1,828	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	450–500	467	359.75/cwt	350.00–365.00	1,680	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	300–350	345	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,225	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	323	399.96/cwt	395.00–405.00	1,292	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	1100–1150	1,105	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	2,265	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	850–900	880	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	1,584	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	710	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,846	1
Heifers	Large 1-2	450–500	497	344.00/cwt	344.00–344.00	1,710	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	610	308.97/cwt	305.00–313.00	1,885	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	428	378.70/cwt	377.50–380.00	1,621	2

How this sale compares

Kentucky weighted averages

One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every Kentucky auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.

Kentucky feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →

Bluegrass Stockyard - Mt. Sterling, KY

Wed Dec 17, 2025

USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Frankfort, KY (LS-LG)

Feeder CattleReceipts 203Last week 815Year ago 236

Slaughter CattleReceipts 45Last week 66Year ago 49

Replacement CattleReceipts 17Last week 25Year ago 16

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
1	400–450	415	450.00	450.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	250–300	278	397.50–407.50	404.93
2	300–350	323	395.00–405.00	399.96
2	350–400	350	402.00–412.00	407.00
3	400–450	422	405.00–430.00	421.50
4	450–500	460	375.00–390.00	378.79
2	500–550	530	362.00–367.50	364.70
4	550–600	574	340.00–354.00	350.40
3	650–700	678	320.00–322.50	320.82
1	700–750	720	312.50	312.50
1	800–850	800	255.00	255.00
1	850–900	880	220.00	220.00
2	900–950	920	207.50–217.50	212.42
1	1100–1150	1,105	205.00	205.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	250–300	275	362.50	362.50
3	300–350	345	355.00	355.00
3	350–400	368	370.00–385.00	375.03
6	400–450	437	350.00–370.00	354.62
3	450–500	467	350.00–365.00	359.75
2	500–550	532	330.00	330.00
1	550–600	570	300.00	300.00
3	600–650	618	265.00–275.00	271.52
1	850–900	880	180.00	180.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	250–300	265	300.00	300.00
Bulls — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	600–650	645	315.00	315.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
1	500–550	505	390.00	390.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	200–250	200	425.00	425.00
3	400–450	421	400.00	400.00
1	450–500	465	415.00	415.00
4	500–550	536	355.00–380.00	368.74
7	550–600	562	360.00–367.50	366.13
1	600–650	635	340.00	340.00
8	650–700	662	333.00–339.00	336.98
1	950–1000	960	265.00	265.00
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	350–400	370	310.00–325.00	317.09
2	400–450	438	367.50–385.00	376.40
5	450–500	466	375.00–387.50	379.57
4	550–600	587	326.00–335.00	328.18
Steers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	650–700	670	327.00	327.00
1	800–850	800	292.50	292.50
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
10	450–500	450	447.50	447.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	300–350	345	330.00	330.00
2	350–400	367	350.00	350.00
7	500–550	542	325.00–337.50	328.37
1	600–650	625	282.00	282.00
1	650–700	680	285.00	285.00
1	700–750	710	260.00	260.00
1	850–900	855	247.50	247.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	350–400	390	392.00	392.00
2	400–450	428	377.50–380.00	378.70
6	450–500	490	346.00–367.00	357.60
9	500–550	522	340.00–360.00	348.33
21	550–600	564	325.00–347.50	343.47
2	600–650	610	305.00–313.00	308.97
Heifers — Medium and Large 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
1	500–550	540	245.00	245.00
Heifers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	350–400	390	305.00	305.00
2	450–500	497	344.00	344.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
1	400–450	425	430.00	430.00
10	450–500	477	395.00	395.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Guaranteed Open$ per cwt · actual wt
7	500–550	503	368.00	368.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	1,141	131.00–144.00	139.89
6	—	963	122.00–127.00	124.14
2	—	1,078	157.50–160.00	158.73
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,530	170.00–174.50	172.40
7	—	1,536	156.00–167.50	162.70
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,223	147.00–149.00	147.86
11	—	1,289	152.00–167.00	159.25
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,727	176.00–183.50	179.37
2	—	1,248	165.00–166.00	165.48
1	—	2,205	219.50	219.50

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	2	—	1,000	170.00–178.00	173.66
Bred Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	2	—	970	2,400.00	2,400.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	—	1,390	2,110.00	2,110.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 2$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	—	995	2,050.00	2,050.00
Bred Cows — Medium 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	1	—	1,035	1,625.00	1,625.00
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	4	—	1,490	2,825.00–3,000.00	2,951.69

Head, weight ranges, average weights and price ranges are exactly as USDA AMS filed them — nothing recomputed, nothing rounded — in USDA's own reporting structure. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of that data, not a copy of USDA's document.

Feeder Cattle — prices, barns, and planning

Fed Cattle — the cash market and what quality pays

Beef & Retail — from the box to the grocery shelf

Feed & Hay — the cost side, cash not futures

Cows & Bred Stock — the rebuild market

More

Mount Sterling Livestock Auction

Reporter comment USDA

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

What quality paid 500–600 lb

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

How it compared 500–600 lb

Slaughter cattle

Replacement cattle Per head

Every lot, as filed

How this sale compares

Bluegrass Stockyard - Mt. Sterling, KY

Feeder Cattle

Slaughter Cattle

Replacement Cattle